UC Riverside study examines ways to manage Bermudagrass with less water

Preliminary results from a University of California, Riverside study suggest that when keeping turf adequately fertilized, the regular use of Revolution and Primo Maxx can be a powerful tool to manage Bermudagrass with less water. The findings were presented at the university’s annual turfgrass field day in mid-September. The main findings from the research report are quoted below:
 
“All ratings collected at the beginning of the study showed that bermudagrass was significantly affected by lack of N fertilization (Figures 1 and 2). However, grass recovered quickly after the first application of N, and no differences between ET replacements were found until the beginning of July. Moreover, plots treated with Revolution achieved a sufficient rating of 6 or higher for two months even when irrigated at only 40% ET (Figure 2). After 8 July 2016, no plots irrigated at 40% ET achieved acceptable quality, although plots treated with Revolution, alone or in combination with Primo Maxx, showed consistently better quality of plots than those that did not receive Revolution (Figure 2). At 70% ET replacement, plots that received both Primo Maxx and Revolution had higher visual quality in comparison to all the other treatments on four ratings dates, including during the entire month of August (Figure 1).”

These preliminary findings confirm what researchers have seen with Revolution: an ability to provide increased turf quality at reduced levels of irrigation. However, this study suggests that when paired with one of the most popular growth regulators on the market, Revolution can drastically reduce the amount of water needed to grow healthy turf. It also suggest that the Primo Maxx + Revolution combination can be a significant tool for turf managers tasked with reducing water usage due to budgetary concerns and/or drought conditions.